Sandman Hotel review, Santa Rosa, Ca

For a comfortable, affordable stay in the Wine Country, the Sandman hotel in Santa Rosa, Ca offers the convenience of a motor lodge and the amenities of a wine country inn.

Rooms are clean and well appointed with artful touches. All of the 135 rooms that range in price range from $129-$269 have large flat-screen TVs, high speed Internet, mini refrigerators, microwaves, coffee makers, hairdryers, irons, and Malin + Goetz bath products. My favorite amenity was the cool and functional bamboo lap desk. I wish I was using it right now!

The reception area at the Sandman welcomes weary travelers.

On a recent visit, I stayed with my kids in the generously sized family suite that features a comfortable living area set off from the king bed and bunk bed with a twin over a double.

Without a question the highlight of the Sandman hotel is the pool and indoor/outdoor pool house & bar. The vibe is 1950’s Palm Desert, you can easily imagine Frank Sinatra lounging around here with a cocktail. A garage door opens up into the pool house where you can can order drinks and snacks and get a respite from the sun. And with two kids on an excruciatingly hot summer day, this was the obvious destination.

The groovy Sandman Pool House and Bar has a retro vibe.

Sandman Summer Nights are a new addition to the hotel’s event offerings at the Pool House & Bar and feature live music, local food trucks, and specialty wine cocktails on select Friday nights.

There are plans in the works to upgrade the grassy area adjacent to the pool to include bocce ball and fire pits with modular seating, creating an additional hangout spot for guests.

The Sandman hotel offers complimentary breakfast in a conference room next to the reception area. DIY waffles, cereal, hardboiled eggs, juices, and yogurt were among the selections when we visited. The hotel is also dog friendly with designated pet-friendly guestrooms and a fee of $25.

Night swimming at the Sandman pool.

All that said, what impresses me most about this hotel was learning about how they responded to the devastating repercussions of the October 2017 Sonoma and Napa wildfires that destroyed acres of land and rendered many local residents homeless.

The response of the hotel was to come together to take care of their community. Folks at the Sandman worked with FEMA to assist in housing for those displaced by the fires. After FEMA ended their funding, they worked with several non-profit agencies to assist in temporary housing.

Today, nearly all of those displaced have now found more permanent housing solutions. The Sandman also partnered with Toys for Tots for a fundraiser to assist those in need. For this they received an award for the number of toys collected.